A Granite Construction and Obayashi joint venture has landed a major $158 million contract to kickstart Guam’s Enhanced Air and Missile Defense project — reinforcing the island’s role as a strategic defense hub for the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific.

Watsonville, California-based Granite and Tokyo-headquartered Obayashi will tackle Phase 1 of the massive program on a 120-acre site in South Finegayan, Guam — an area just south of Granite’s active work at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. The newly awarded job will provide the essential site infrastructure to support future missile defense systems, which will be delivered under separate contracts, the company confirmed in a press release.

The Phase 1 scope is substantial:

• 60,000 linear feet of underground duct bank installation
• 110,000 cubic yards of mass earthwork
• 11,000 linear feet of water main
• 7,400 cubic yards of structural concrete
• 1.3 million pounds of reinforcing steel rebar
• A 220,000-gallon steel water tank
• A new fire pump building
• A Security Forces office building

“This award underscores Granite’s continued commitment to supporting our national defense infrastructure and our strong partnership with NAVFAC,” said Curt Haldeman, Granite’s Vice President of Regional Operations, in the announcement. “We are proud to contribute to the security of Guam and the broader Indo-Pacific region through this critical project.”

The contract was awarded by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), which oversees the U.S. Navy’s global facilities construction and maintenance operations. Construction will kick off this month and wrap up by July 2028, ensuring the groundwork is ready for the next phases of the missile defense network.

With tensions rising in the Pacific and Guam playing a growing role as a forward operating base for U.S. forces, investments like these highlight how the construction industry underpins national security — one duct bank and rebar ton at a time.

Originally reported by Joe Bousquin in Construction Dive.